STOCKPORT'S SEARCH FOR MORE SUCCESS
STOCKPORT begin the defence of their North of England League
title at home to Mellor on Saturday on the opening week of
the Premier Division season.
Last year's double-winners, pitted against last year's league
runners-up, is a mouth-watering prospect to kick-off the new
domestic campaign.
Victory for either side could be the early catalyst they are
looking for as they go in search of honours.
"I don't think one game will have much bearing on the
season, but winning would be the perfect start for us,"
Sean Ring, the Stockport coach, said.
"Playing Mellor in our first game is not a disadvantage
in my eyes. You've got to beat the best to win the league
- and Mellor are of the best teams, there's no doubting that."
Mellor, arguably, have the best goalkeeper in the league with
skipper Ben McAllister between the posts.
But Ring has kept faith with the three-prong attacking partnership
which proved so successful last season as the Beech Road club
grabbed the league title and won the Daily Telegraph Senior
Flags crown for the first time since 1999.
Promising England ace Thomas Gosnay will start up front with
his father, Keith, and Owen Jones.
"We've made a few changes to the side, but I didn't want
to change the attack. It proved very successful for us last
season," added Ring.
Midfielder Joe Singleton is to play for the first team this
year, exactly a week since making his senior international
debut for England, while fellow youngster Sam Patterson will
replace the experienced Stuart Cox in defence.
Veteran Cox, a former England international, has retired from
the first-team after 16 seasons in a bid to develop the club's
young players on their A-team.
Timperley women, the defending North of England champions,
start the defence of their Premier League title away to Wirral,
also tomorrow (Saturday, 2pm draw).
- RESULTS SO FAR: There have already been two conceded
matches in Division 5. The results are - Conference A: Cheadle
C 1 Cheadle Hulme B 0; Conference B: Stockport C 1 Loughborough
University 0.
Weekend Lacrosse Fixtures
Men's North of England League - Premier Division (2.15pm):
Stockport v Mellor, Brooklands Hulmeians v Cheadle, Heaton
Mersey v Boardman & Eccles, Timperley v Manchester Waconians,
Sheffield Steelers.
Division 2: Heaton Mersey A v Poynton, Mellor
A v Nottingham, Oldham v Manchester Waconians A, Rochdale
v Cheadle A, Stopfordians v Stockport A.
Division 3: Brooklands Hulmeians A v Sheffield
Steelers A, Cheadle Hulme v Norbury, Cheadle B v Rochdale
A, Sheffield University v Ashton-under-Lyne, Timperley A v
Stockport B.
Division 4: Ashton-under-Lyne A v Poynton
A, Boardman & Eccles A v Mellor B, Heaton Mersey Guild
v Heaton Mersey B, Manchester Waconians B v Brooklands Hulmeians
Extra A, Wilmslow A v Timperley B.
Division 5 - Conference A: Leeds University
v Manchester Waconians C, Rochdale B v Stopfordians A, Sheffield
Steelers B v Poynton B, Oldham A v Heaton Mersey C.
Conference B: Norbury A v Brooklands Hulmeians
B, Wilmslow B v Oldham B.
Women's North of England Premier League (2.00pm): Stockport
v Sheffield, Mellor v Liverpool, Wirral v Timperley, Heaton
Mersey v Leeds.
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